Voa development report - Mandela Forms 'Elders' to Work on World Problems

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is the VOA Special English Development Report.

South African president Nelson Mandela celebrated his eighty-ninth birthday week by launching "the Elders." This is a group men and women with almost one thousand years of experience to deal with world issues. Among them are president Jimmy Carter and former United Nations secretary general Annan.

Former South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu will the chairman. Other members include Indian social activist Ela , former Norwegian prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland and former president Mary Robinson. Bangladeshi economist and Grameen Bank founder Yunus and former Chinese foreign minister Li Zhaoxing are Elders.

Nelson Mandela presented the group at a news in Johannesburg with his wife, Graca Machel, a children's activist. One chair was empty. It represented the final : Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader under house in Burma.

The idea for the group came from businessman Richard Branson and musician Peter Gabriel. They proposed idea to Mister Mandela and his wife several years . Mister Branson, along with the UN.. Foundation and private , has helped finance the group.

The Elders say work will not be in conflict with the United or other international groups. Instead, they say they hope work alongside such organizations.

Mister Mandela says the Elders use their skills and collective wisdom to look for to problems such as AIDS, climate change and longtime . The idea is that they can talk to anyone please or get involved in any issue they wish they do not represent governments.

The group plans hold videoconferences and also to meet in person two a year.

Some people may wonder how a group of mostly retired leaders can influence world . Nelson Mandela himself has said he plans to take seriously. He left office in nineteen ninety-nine and announced retirement from public life in two thousand four.

involvement on the council is expected to be largely . But he says he believes in the Elders because member is fiercely independent. They are free, he says, put the needs of the world's people first.

And the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jill . For more development news, go to voaspecialenglishcom.. Im Steve .

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